MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris

World Premiere 24th Busan International Film Festival - Flash Forward

Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Greece – 2019 - 96 min - 4K - 1:2.39 - Lithuanian

original title: GIMTINE international title: MOTHERLAND short SYNOPSIS Shortly after the fall of the USSR, 12-year-old Kovas, travels to his mother, Viktorija’s homeland for the first time. It has been 20 years since she escaped Soviet-Occupied Lithuania and has now returned to reclaim her beloved family estate. Viktorija’s former flame, Romas, claims to have useful connections and escorts them to the family land. When they find the tattered estate occupied by an impoverished Russian family, they must consider how far they are willing to go to keep their dreams intact. MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris long SYNOPSIS An old Soviet Zigulys car rattles over uneven streets. A boy stares out the window, concerned. He hears his mother’s voice, recounting her childhood memories about this beautiful land. But the view from the back seat tells a different story. The boy’s eyes dart back and forth as he takes in the sites of Vilnius, Lithuania. 1992.

Shortly after the fall of the iron curtain, 12-year-old Kovas travels to his mother Viktorija (47)’s homeland for the first time. It has been 20 years since she escaped the USSR and now she has returned to reclaim her family land. Still reeling from his parents recent divorce, Kovas is eager for the distraction of this summer vacation. Viktorija, however, has a different plan. Consumed with nostalgia and tired from her crumbled marriage and failed career, Viktorija secretly hopes to start life over in the young country with her unsuspecting son.

Viktorija’s handsome former love, Romas (49), has useful connections and offers to escort them to the family land. They arrive to find an impoverished Russian family occupying the tattered estate. Romas and Viktorija deliberate how to get rid of the occupants. As their plans unfold, Kovas begins to see a different and unexpected side of his mother. When Romas attempts to remove the tenants of the land by force, things begin to unravel and the group must consider how far they are willing to go to keep their dreams intact.

MOTHERLAND is a lyrical coming-of-age drama about a woman trying to reclaim her idealized past under the watchful eyes of her pre-adolescent son. The story provokes a fresh glimpse into the complicated realities of finding one’s identity and asserting independence - both personal and political -- through the perspective of a young American boy in newly independent Lithuania. MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris

CAST MATAS METLEVSKI (Kovas) SEVERIJA JANUŠAUSKAITĖ (Viktorija) DARIUS GUMAUSKAS (Romas) BARBORA BAREIKYTĖ (Marija)

CREW scriptwriter & director TOMAS VENGRIS producer ULJANA KIM co-producers ROBERTS VINOVSKIS SEBASTIAN WEYLAND KNUT JÄGER CHRISTOS V. KONSTANTAKOPOULOS director of photography AUDRIUS KEMEŽYS production designer RAMŪNAS RASTAUSKAS editors GINTARĖ SOKELYTĖ TOMAS VENGRIS sound designer sAULIUS URBANAVIČIUS costume designer AGNĖ RIMKUTĖ make-up designer AUŠRA ROSEGARD composer KĀRLIS AUZĀNS casting by DOVILĖ GASIŪNAITĖ

© 2019 Studio Uljana Kim / Locomotive Productions MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris

Director’s BIO & film

Tomas grew up the son of Lithuanian immigrants in Washington, DC. He received his BA from Columbia University. After working as a corporate consultant for a year, he decided to drop everything and pursue his lifelong passion of filmmaking. He began working as a film editor and soon after completed his M.F.A in Directing at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, CA.

MOTHERLAND is Tomas’ feature directorial debut. It was shot and edited in Vilnius, Lithuania. Previously, he found success with his short films. KALIFORNIJA, his AFI Thesis film about Lithuanian immigrants in Los Angeles, was a national finalist in the Student , distinguishing it as one of the best narrative student films in the United States. His following short film, SQUIRREL, premiered in the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival.

Tomas has worked as an editor under several internationally acclaimed writer/directors, including Terrence Malick, Kelly Reichardt, and Lena Dunham. To date, he has been the lead editor on six feature films, many garnering significant international praise, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris

Fall 2016 JONATHAN dir: Bill Oliver Editor Summer 2016 I DONT FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD dir: Macon Blair Editor *GRAND JURY PRIZE SUNDANCE 2017* () Fall 2015 KICKS dir: Justin Tipping Editor (Focus World) 2014-2015­ sONG TO SONG dir: Terrence Malick Editor (Broad Green) Winter 2015 NAKOM dir: TW Pittman & Kelly Norris Editor (Wide / Eye on Films) 2012-2013­ KNIGHT OF CUPS dir: Terrence Malick Additional Editor (Broad Green) Summer 2012 GEORGE LOPEZ: IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU pro: Troy Miller Additional Editing (HBO) Winter 2012 : CRAZYSTUPIDPOLITICS pro: Troy Miller Assistant Editor (Yahoo Studios) Summer 2011 MTV MOVIE AWARDS FILM dir: Jay Karas Editor (MTV Studios) Spring 2010 MEEK’S CUTOFF dir: Kelly Reichardt First Assistant Editor (Oscilloscope) Fall 2009 TINY FURNITURE dir: Lena Dunham First Assistant Editor (IFC Films) MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris

Director’s statement Particularly in the western world, questions of identity have become a daily source of turmoil. Is it our land that defines us — our history, our heritage? Do we draw strength from wealth or social constructs? Our “manliness,” our feminine appeal? Our family?

Like many children of the Lithuanian diaspora, I felt born in exile. I was raised on stories about this mythical land of infinite beauty. Even as a child, I defined myself by my Lithuanian heritage. However, when I crossed the Atlantic after the fall of the Soviet Union, I faced a surprising reality. I found a small country struggling with the complex problems of independence and autonomy. Growing up alongside a nation striving to define itself forces you to reevaluate the most basic questions of your own personal identity.

MOTHERLAND was born out of this struggle, both in narrative and theme. The film sets a specific story of personal upheaval against the backdrop of Lithuanian independence. It is not a traditional coming-of- age film. In essence, Viktorija’s story is the driving force of the film. However, the Kovas’ perspective is our insight into her struggle. Because we witness Viktorija’s unravelling entirely through his eyes, we adopt his unblemished perspective. Through him, we are reminded of the fresh sting of “first” experiences - first love, first betrayal, the first realization that our parents are truly complex, flawed creatures. MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris

Mary Renault says, “A man is at his youngest when he thinks he is a man, not yet realizing that his actions must show it.” We cannot simply claim our identity, we must live according to the principles of the identity we seek. This sentiment echoes throughout the film. A country, newly independent after Soviet occupation, searches for its national identity. A mother, tired from her mistakes, seeks solace in her past life. A boy, taking his first steps into adulthood, strives to understand what it means to be a man. Each element is a mirror, exposing the next.

MOTHERLAND was the last film of the unparalleled Lithuanian cinematographer Audrius Kemezys. He was an essential collaborator and a creative force. The film is dedicated to him. Tomas Vengris

Production Note Motherland takes place in 1992, requiring an accurate recreation of the post-Soviet period. The budget was small, considering the fact that this is a directorial debut. The Lithuanian weather was uncompliant with the exterior-heavy film, leaving the filmmakers to improvise and adapt to the circumstances. The completed film reveals that the challenges lead to a unique atmosphere and focus on the story and characters. MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris MOTHERLAND A film by Tomas Vengris

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